Classification
- Incident Type: Grounded
- Severity: Low
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | MSC Istanbul |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | |
| Capacity | 16,000 TEU |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2023-03-05 |
| Location | Kilometer 78 of the Suez Canal, Egypt |
| Region | Egypt |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage |
Key facts
- The Maritime Executive reported that MSC Istanbul went aground at kilometer 78 while transiting north through the Suez Canal.
- The Suez Canal Authority dispatched four tugs to respond and attempt to refloat the vessel.
- Northbound traffic was diverted into the parallel eastern waterway, while the day's southbound vessels continued normally.
- At 20:00 local time, the authority announced that MSC Istanbul had been refloated using its own tugs.
- The article does not state the cause, casualty outcome, vessel damage, or monetary loss.
Narrative
The Maritime Executive reported that the 16,000-TEU containership MSC Istanbul went aground at kilometer 78 of the Suez Canal on the afternoon of 5 March 2023 while transiting north. The Suez Canal Authority dispatched four tugs to respond and attempt to refloat the vessel.
Because this stretch of the canal has two parallel channels, the remaining northbound convoy was diverted into the eastern waterway. The day's southbound vessels continued to transit normally. At 20:00 local time, the Suez Canal Authority announced that MSC Istanbul had been successfully refloated using its own tugs and said that the operation had not affected canal traffic negatively.
The available article does not state why the vessel grounded, whether anyone was injured, or whether the ship sustained damage. It also provides no quantified economic loss and does not identify a separate casualty investigation or official finding. The article and linked record do not support the seeded IMO number, gross tonnage, LOA, or flag state, so those fields remain unresolved.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2023-03-05 afternoon | MSC Istanbul went aground at kilometer 78 while transiting north. |
| 2023-03-05 | Four Suez Canal Authority tugs responded; northbound traffic was diverted into the parallel eastern waterway. |
| 2023-03-05 20:00 local time | The Suez Canal Authority announced that MSC Istanbul had been refloated using its own tugs. |
Investigation
The available article identifies the Suez Canal Authority as the responding authority and reports its refloating announcement. It does not identify a separate investigating body or provide findings on the cause, damage, or casualty outcome.
References
- The Maritime Executive: MSC Boxship Runs Aground in Suez Canal
- MSC Istanbul article record